Multigrain Pizza Dough

After numerous failed attempts at making pizza dough, I have finally come up with an absolutely fabulous, and semi-healthy, recipe.  AT LAST!!!  I'm sure you can relate...

So the story is, my dear friend sent me one that she had tried but I totally had to tweak it because I always have to use at least some whole wheat flour in any bread recipe.  Therefore, this is a combination of recipes that I have arrived at and really think is great.  It has been approved by the hubby and additional pizza dough critics.  The recipe below is for one large pizza.

Partygoers:

• 1 cup AP (all purpose) flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Yes, it has to be pastry flour.)
• 2 t granulated sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 T dried rosemary
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dried basil
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 T EVOO

How to have fun at the party:

1. Measure out your warm water and add the packet of yeast.  Mix together and let stand for 10 minutes or until creamy and frothy looking.
2. Get out your mixer.  I mean the big guns.  Attach the bread hook.
3. Dump the dry ingredients into the bowl.
4. When the yeast mixture is creamy/frothy, add the EVOO and the yeast mixture.
5. Mix/beat until combined.  Do not beat crazily after all ingredients are incorporated.  Less is more here, people!
6. Turn off your mixer.  Remove the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Your dough should have doubled in size.

You can use this immediately, after kneading the dough out a bit, or, you can stick the dough in the fridge in a Ziploc bag and use later that week.  Which is what I like to do.  If the pizza dough has time to rest it will listen to you a little bit better when you're rolling it out.

Side note, if you're not a multigrainer, you can use 2 cups of AP flour.  It won't harm anything... besides your waistline, that is.

I hope you love it as much as we do!  And who knows, maybe this is the last pizza dough recipe you ever try!!

CKC

Coffee Crusted Steaks

Last night my Sous Chef and I had a Dine In Date Night.  So that makes this a Dine In Date Night Dinner (DIDND). 

We had pulled out a couple of beautiful ribeyes out of the freezer the day before, and had left them in the fridge to thaw out in preparation for our date.  Is it weird to think meat is beautiful?  I love my freezer, but I know you already know that so I will spare you my emoting.

Anyway... Sous Chef/Hubby had heard about about coffee crusting steaks somewhere along the line a long while back.  We decided to try it last night and it was completely and surprisingly delectable!

Here were the weapons of choice:

• 2 bone-in ribeyes
• S&P
• Garlic powder
• Freshly ground coffee
• EVOO
• Butter

Here was the plan of attack:

1. Complete this super simple steak prep... season the steaks with EVOO, S&P, a little garlic powder and "crust" them with freshly ground coffee.  It is critical that it be freshly ground, friends.  Leave in the fridge to "marinate" for about 20 minutes.  Long marination isn't a big deal for this prep.
2. Preheat your oven to 425.
3. Heat your cast iron pan over high heat and add a few pads of butter. 
4. Once the butter is melted and your pan is screaming hot (but not burning/smoking), put your steaks in the pan. 
5. Sear the steaks for 3 minutes on each side, depending upon the thickness of your meat.  Our steaks were about an inch thick.  If yours are thinner shorten the time.  Thicker steaks are fine with this time.
6. Once the steaks are seared, transfer them to a baking sheet and put them in the preheated oven.
7. For medium rare steaks, leave them in the oven for 6-7 minutes.  For medium steaks, 9 minutes, etc... Adjust your cooking time relative to the thickness of your steaks and how you like your steak cooked.
8. When done, remove from the oven and let the steaks rest for at least 3 minutes.  Please please please do not cheat yourself of excellence by not letting your steak rest.  The resting process keeps the juices in the meat and doesn't "bleed" out all the incredible flavor you just imparted when you cut into your steak.  Your patience will be rewarded, I promise.

Okay... now that you've patiently waited for the resting period, plate your steaks and enjoy!  I know... so easy you thought I wasn't done.  That's it!

Let us know what you think!  We loved this non-grilling steak method more than any other we've tried to date.

Good eats to all! XO,

Sous Chef and Cowtown Kitchen Chief

Freezer Find #3: Shrimp Rustica

Here's another freezer find!!  If I'm being honest, this one is actually from a few weeks ago.  We've had so many leftovers I haven't made too many new items to share.  This one is really good and easy.  It turned out to be an "everything but the kitchen sink" kind of meal.

The canned items in this dish are things that I make sure to always have in the pantry.  They are some of my pantry "staples."

Here's what you'll need for the job:

• 1 bag of raw shrimp, thawed and cleaned
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3-4 green onions, diced
• 1 pkg of sliced mushrooms (a small can will substitute)
• 1 cup of red wine
• 3 large roasted red peppers (canned), chopped
• 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped (1/2 can of diced tomatoes will substitute perfectly)
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can quartered artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 T capers
• Garlic, minced
• EVOO
• S&P
• Crushed red pepper

Here's what to do:

1. Heat EVOO in a cast iron skillet. 
2. Add garlic, red onion, green onion and mushrooms. Saute.
3. Season with S&P and crushed red pepper.
4. Once onions and mushrooms begin to brown, add red wine and reduce to a simmer.
5. Simmer and let thicken for about 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Add roasted red peppers, tomatoes, black beans, artichoke hearts and capers to the pan.
8. Stir gently to combine.
9. Lay shrimp on top, then top with parmesan cheese.
10. Broil in the oven for 15 minutes or until shrimp are pink.

I served this in a bowl with a piece of garlic toast.  It was delicious!  Another thing to love about this dish... it's a one dish meal!

Enjoy!!

Freezer Find #2: Hot & Smoky Drumsticks

We're still cleaning out the freezer over here.  A few nights ago I came across a bag of frozen drumsticks in the bottom of the deep freeze.  With my packaging intact, I thawed them out and decided to "revive" them.

I'll let you know that I was quite excited to try drumsticks, given that nearly all of my experience cooking chicken has been with white meat.  I grew up never really eating dark meat, but since meeting my husband I've really done a lot in the way of branching out.  I am pretty proud of the look on his face after biting into these guys, though!  This was definitely one of my first rodeos at cooking dark meat.

Here are the foodie items you'll need for the job:

• Chicken legs/drumsticks
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Lemon juice
• EVOO
• S&P
• 2 T Butter

Warning... limited measurements were used in this recipe.

And the tools:

• Gallon size Ziplock bag
• Cast iron skillet
• Broiling pan, or oven safe cooling rack and baking sheet

The prep work:

1. Open the Ziplock bag and fold the sides down toward the outside.  This way you won't make a monsterous mess of the marinating vessel.
2. Drop in the drumsticks.
3. Add a lot of chili powder (enough to get a good spice coating started).
4. Then add almost as much paprika.  Did I mention no measurements were used in this...??
5. Add cayenne pepper.  A little goes a long way here, folks.  Add at your own risk!
6. Add enough garlic powder to lightly dust everything.
7. Add a good amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Throw in a few dashes of lemon juice.  Fresh squeezed isn't really imperative in this dish.
9. Then finally, a drizzle of EVOO.
10. Seal the bag, getting as much air out as possible, mix the chicken and spices around, then marinate in the fridge until about 10 minutes before you're ready to cook.

Showtime:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it warm up a bit for more even cooking.
3. Heat the cast iron skillet to high heat adding the butter and a drizzle of EVOO.  Why both?  The butter allows for browning and keeps the oil from burning.
4. Sear the drumsticks on all sides in the hot pan, cooking on each "side" for about 3 minutes.
5. Place chicken on broiling rack and cook in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

We enjoyed this with spicy tomato green beans and whole wheat mac & cheese.  Doesn't get much better than that!

Any comments/suggestions/ideas/requests, send 'em my way!!  Happy eating!

Tabouli

I'm not sure if you all are aware of my Lebanese roots, but my maternal grandparents were natives of Lebanon and came to America in their early years to build a life for their six amazing children.

OBVIOUSLY my grandmother brought her Lebanese recipes and cooking along with her.  I've never made so many of the things that she could do, but one thing I know and love to make is tabouli.  It makes me feel connected to her each time I make it.

Sooo... in the midst of the Freezer Finds I'll continue to share with you, here is an oldie but a goodie.  Most of this recipe is completely by feel and there is really no way to mess it up.  This recipe makes about 8 servings but keeps really nicely in the fridge.  I hope you enjoy it!  I haven't met anyone that hasn't loved this.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup of bulgar wheat (you can find this in the bulk section in any Central Market, Whole Foods, or Sun Harvest)
• 1 bunch of green onions, diced
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch of curly parsley, picked and chopped
• 1 handful of mint, chopped
• 4-5 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped
• juice of 3-4 lemons (fresh lemon juice is a MUST)
• canola oil
• S&P

Here's what you do:

1. Put the dried bulgar in a bowl and cover it with water so that there is about an inch of water covering everything.  Set it aside and let it soak while you are chopping the ingredients.
2. Do all your chopping.
3. Throw everything in a bowl.  Yes.  One bowl.  Everyone parties together.
4. Drain the water off the bulgur now, as best you can, and throw the bulgur in to party with the others.
5. Add the lemon juice.
6. Drizzle canola oil.  Not too much, just like a very light salad dressing.
7. Season with S&P to taste.
8. Let it marinate overnight in the fridge.  You can stir it occasionally.
9. Stir it again the next morning and add seasoning as needed.
10. Enjoy!

Here's what mine looks like when it's done...

And if you can't find bulk bulgar, you should be able to find Bob's Red Mill Bulgar Wheat.  This still has the hull on it.  Doesn't taste bad but is much nuttier and the overnight marination is critical to softening the hull enough to eat without a weird crunch.  That looks like this...

It is very refreshing and can be modified by adding more, or taking away, any one ingredient.  In the Middle Eastern custom, it is traditional to have this "salad" be more of a parsley based salad than wheat based.  

I've also seen crumbled goat cheese added for a protein addition.  Never tried this but I'm a goat cheese fan so I will one day.  Tried using watermelon instead of tomatoes once... Tried it ONCE. Catch my drift??  I like it my way (surprising), but the point is, it's very flexible!

I hope you love it!  Any questions, holler!

Freezer Find #1: Venison Crock Pot Roast

Let me start by saying, it is "clean out the freezer week(s)" at the Marleys household.  Due to this simple fact, these posts are going to be creative... surprising... and surprisingly good!  Above all things, please know that any freezer disasters will not be shared.  No need to impart madness in your kitchen.

So... first freezer find... drumroll...

VENISON!!!

I know.  Many people do not eat "gamey" meat.  Due to the fact that some major hunting season are upon us, I will not allow more game to enter the freezer unless game has been removed.  Therefore, the surplus of venison in our freezer pushed me to get creative. 

So... here's how it went down.  Please keep in mind that venison is a very lean meat.  This requires that some fat be added to make this whole thing worth our time.

What we're working with:

• 2ish lbs (??) Venison, trimmed and cleaned
• 1 Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, family size and the real deal
• 1 pint of chicken stock, mine was homemade but if you're buying go for low sodium
• 1/2 bottle of red wine
• 1 pkg of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced and cleaned
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 bulb of garlic
• a few springs of rosemary
• fresh parsley
• S&P
• EVOO
• Paprika
• Garlic powder

How to work it:

1. Lay the venison on wax paper (disposable, whew) and drizzle with EVOO.  Season with S&P, garlic powder and paprika. Don't be shy with any of these items.
2. Put the seasoned venison in the bottom of the Crock Pot.
3. Rough chop the onion and lay it on top of the venison in the Crock Pot, from here forward referred to as the CP. 
4. Cut the garlic bulb in half so that you basically halve all of the cloves. Put the two pieces in the CP. Don't worry, the skin won't matter and you can remove the entire bulb after cooking.
5. Put the mushrooms on top next.
6. Bring the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup to the party. Just put it all over the ingredients. It will run down in the cooking process to make for complete deliciousness.
7. Pour in the chicken stock.
8. Pour in the wine.
9. Lay springs of rosemary and rough chopped fresh parsley on top.
10. Cover and select your cooking time according to your CP.

Here's what it probably looks like at this point...

I know... lumpy and weird but don't worry.

Uncover, eat and then try to mask the shock you are experiencing at the delightful flavors happening in this dish.

I'm starting to feel like there is nothing a Crock Pot can't do, and no meat it can mess up, or over cook. If not everyone in your family is eating at the same time, turn the Crock Pot to warm and it will be hot and ready for your entire crew, whenever they are ready!

"Texas Style" Chicken Enchiladas

Tonight I made chicken enchiladas.  I have never, in fact, made enchiladas for Reid before.  He is somewhat of an enchilada nazi.  However, I managed to take over the enchilada process as he was distracted by something at the computer.

Reid takes pride in his "New Mexico Style" enchiladas, which don't misunderstand me, they are great!  However, Reid needed to taste my Texas Style enchiladas to really appreciate what they are truly about. So, here they are... TDF (to die for).

"Texas Style" Chicken Enchiladas

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, rough chopped
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 can of fat free refried beans (Old El Paso, please; FFRB)
• 1 can of Original Rotel
• 1 can of Old El Paso Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups of Mexican blend shredded cheese (2% milk is great!)
• 1 large hot roasted Hatch green chile (if you don't have this, amp up the heat with Hot blend Rotel)
• tortillas (I used flour tonight but next time I'm trying the corn/wheat blend)
• cumin
• dried cilantro
• paprika
• S&P

Now time to get to work...

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onion and garlic in a large skillet with salt until just softened. 
3. Add the chicken, and about a TBSP each of cumin, dried cilantro, and paprika.
4. Add S&P and cook chicken through.
5. Drain Rotel, then add to the skillet.
6. Kill the heat. Stir in chopped Hatch green chile.
7. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Take one tortilla at a time, and spread a thin layer of FFRB across one side of tortilla.
9. Spoon in filling.
10. Roll and add to the pan.
11. Repeat this process until you are out of filling or out of space, whichever happens first. (P.S. The enchiladas can be packed tightly into the baking dish. You'll probably run out of filling first.)
12. Pour entire can of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce over the rolled enchiladas.
13. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
14. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes. 
15. SERVE AND ENJOY! 

You can add diced tomatoes or shredded lettuce on top. Maybe even a dollop of Daisy. Dressed or undressed, these enchiladas are amazing. 

For ultimate dining satisfaction, serve with a Michelada.

Enjoy!! I sure did. 

All Seasons Chili

Chili? In the summer? If you ask me, chili is for all seasons! This one is super quick and easy. It's also worth noting that you can make this ahead of time and reheat. You can also double the recipe and freeze in serving size portions.

All Seasons Chili

- 1 lb of extra lean ground beef (98% fat free)
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 can of dark red kidney beans
- 1 can of pinto beans
- 1 can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- S&P
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried cilantro leaves

1. Rough chop the sweet yellow onion.

2. Saute in a medium size pot with olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add the minced garlic and saute until softened and almost translucent.

4. Add the ground beef and S&P. Cook until meat is brown and crumbly.

5. Drain and rinse both cans of beans.

6. Drain can of diced tomatoes.

7. Add cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, cilantro leaves, and S&P to taste.

8. When meat is seasoned appropriately, add beans and tomatoes. Stir.

9. Add enchilada sauce. Stir.

10. Taste. Add seasoning where appropriate.

Best served with finely shredded Mexican blend cheese (2% milk, of course!) and maybe a little dollop of light sour cream.  See?! You CAN enjoy chili no matter what the weather is outside!

Bon appetit!

Spectrum Breakfast Smoothie

Here's another smoothie option for those of you who like smoothies for breakfast or as meal replacements. It is one we used to make when I worked at the Spectrum, a gym back home. Oh! Did I mention I used to work for Jamba Juice?!

Here's what you put in your blender:

- 1/2 cup of plain low-fat or non-fat yogurt
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries, unsweetened
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 T (tablespoon) of honey
- 1/4 cup of instant oats
- 1 T of peanut butter
- 1 cup of ice

Blend baby, blend!

Hot Cheesy Chicken

And I'm back with another chicken recipe! This one's pretty easy. :-)

1. Take your chicken breasts and cut them as though you were going to butterfly them. However, don't cut them all the way through. You are ultimately going to "stuff" them so you'll fold the chicken back over the ingredients.

2. "Stuff" your chicken with 2% cheddar or 2% pepper jack cheese. Fold back over so that the cheese is in the middle of the chicken breast.

3. Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan with olive oil. As with yesterday, try to use regular olive oil as opposed to extra virgin.

4. Season your chicken breasts. You want to season with salt, black pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. I prefer kosher salt. Great flavor and not super expensive. If you're using garlic salt (as opposed to powder), skip the salt.

5. Sear each side of the chicken breast until brown. Probably about 3 minutes on each side with a hot pan.

6. After you sear the chicken, turn the heat down to medium or medium low and leave the chicken in the pan.

7. Dump an entire can of Rotel into the pan. I like the "Hot" version, but "Mild" or "Original" will also work just fine.

8. Drain a can of diced tomatoes. Dump the drained tomatoes into the pan with the Rotel and chicken.

9. Cover and let simmer in the pan with the chicken until the chicken is completely cooked. Probably another 5-8 minutes.

10. Serve with a tossed green salad over brown rice. Layer the rice, chicken breast and top with some of your sauce.

This one's pretty easy and also relatively quick. Should be simple enough to do after work. :-)

Happy cooking!

How many ways can you cook a chicken breast?

I lied. I wasn't back "sooner than later." I have an excuse. I'm getting married! Since Chef Boyar-Reid and I have gotten engaged, lots has happened. Life, you might say, has happened. Our big day is December 18th. We can't wait! I can't believe that it is already August.

Another development is our decision to build a house. YAY! We are super excited but now suddenly feel loads of our disposable income is no longer "disposable." It is making it's way into our savings accounts. Which brings me to my post today.

Did you know that you can get chicken breasts for $1.99/pound? Fresh, all natural chicken breasts. This equates to filling meals all at relatively low costs. Which finally means, more left over to feed the pig. Who doesn't want that in this economy anyway?!

So... since we've been cooking so much chicken lately, I've had to get creative so as not to be bored to tears with it. Not to mention, Chef Boyar-Reid has always been a beef eater. Creative chicken recipes are a necessity!

My next few posts will likely be about chicken and my creative chicken recipes. Here's one of our recent favorites...

Parmesan Crusted Lemon Chicken


1. Get a couple of bowls or pie pans out. Fill one with a couple of beaten eggs to use as an "egg wash." Fill the other with grated parmesan cheese, a little bit of garlic powder, a little bit of flour, and a very small amount of cayenne or chili powder. Make sure to mix these ingredients together.

*Tip: Do not use garlic salt in the mixture and do not preseason your chicken breasts with salt. Parmesan cheese is very salty on it's own, and preseasoning with salt will result in something that will taste way too salty.

2. Preheat a cast iron pan with olive oil. Use regular olive oil if possible. It has a higher burn point.

3. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg wash. Make sure all sides are covered. The egg wash will help the parmesan mixture to stick.

4. Dredge the chicken breasts in the parmesan mixture making sure to cover all sides.

5. Take the chicken breasts and put them in the hot pan. Sear the chicken breasts on each side for about 5 minutes per side.

6. Keep a lid over the chicken. It will keep steam in making the chicken cook more quickly and stay more moist and juicy.

7. Throughout the cooking process, open the lid and squeeze lemon juice into the pan. This will infuse the lemony flavor and help keep the chicken moist.

8. Once cooked, serve with steamed veggies or a salad and some wild rice.

More chicken ideas to come...

Bon appetit!

Back in the Saddle with a Quick and Easy Breakfast

Okay, people. Long over due doesn't even begin to describe it. If you're still here, thanks. If not, I can't blame you!

I'm back in the saddle with a super easy breakfast. Figured I better work my way back into this blogging thing carefully. :-)

1/2 cup of plain yogurt
6 frozen strawberries, no sugar added (NSA)
10 frozen blueberries, NSA
1 Tbsp honey
8 raw almonds
3/4 cup of milk

Blend to perfection.

See, wasn't that easy? Maybe a little too easy. I'll be back sooner than later this time.

Happy Friday, folks!

Cowtown Grill - Beer Can Chicken

Happy Sunday afternoon, readers!

I'm on a long drive back to Cowtown from Roswell and am excited to offer my first post regarding grilling.  "Cowtown Grilling" comes to you complements of self proclaimed "Chef Boyar-Reid."  Since we live a very traditional life, wherein the man does the outdoor cooking and the kitchen is my terrain, he will be assisting me with grilling posts.

Last Saturday Chef Boyar-Reid figured that roasting a chicken over the fire might make a nice dinner while watching Texas Tech's bowl game.  Here's how the roasted chicken came to be incredibly delicious, straight from the horse's mouth.  Please note that we have a stand for making Beer Can Chicken.  While this is not required it is very helpful and can be found for just a few dollars at your local grocery store.

1. Clean the bird.  We picked a bird with a "Pop-Up Timer."  This is very helpful, because it is hard to tell when the chicken is done.  This does the work for you.

2. Put the chicken on the beer can stand after getting the stand set up.  Cut an inch off the top of the beer can you are using.  Different flavors of beer will change the taste of the chicken.  We just used a regular domestic, in our case Colorado Kool-Aid is the choice.

3. Marinate the chicken with olive oil and a chicken seasoning or spice blend.  We used Savory Spices' blend, Reid also suggests "Kickin' Chicken."  Add lemon pepper, kosher salt, and dried basil.

4. Take one lemon and cut it in half.  Squeeze one half all over the chicken.  With the other half, turn inside out and place on top of the chicken (where the neck would be).  This allows the juice to drain out over the chicken while cooking and adds great flavor to the chicken breasts.

5. Using "charwood" (the chef's recommendation over standard charcoal), slow cook the chicken for an hour to an hour and a half, or until the Pop-Up Timer says it's ready.  Make sure to have enough charwood to allow for cooking over this long period and that will stay at a hot temperature.  Ideally you are able to keep the grill at about 300 degrees for the cooking period.

6. The chef also suggests a cast iron smoking box filled with your choice of wood chips.  In this case, Jack Daniels Barrel Chips were used.  Be sure to rotate the bird 360 degrees over the course of the cooking time to ensure an even roast.

7. Once your bird is ready, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve warm along with your favorite sides.

Beer Can Chicken can also be done with a BBQ basting, which would take the place of the above mentioned marinade.  Note that this basting will make your bird look nearly black when it is done cooking, so don't automatically assume that your bird is burned.  Chances are good that it's not!

I know this is a very technique sensitive post so feel free to write me with questions or comments.  I'll have Chef Boyar-Reid answer them as quickly as possible.  This is definitely one of our favorite grilling meals!

Enjoy!

Pan Seared Pork

Happy New Year, readers!

I hope that your 2010 is off to a great start.  If you're like me at all, the holidays likely put a damper on making cooking fun for just a little while.  This week I've started to get back into the swing of things.  My apologies for the recent hiatus.  I hope that together we can make 2010 a very successful year in the kitchen!

This past week, I decided to make pork, green beans, and salad for dinner one night.  Did I mention I'm trying to trim the carbs so that my pants button?  At any rate, here's how it went.

I decided to pan sear the pork, prior to baking in the oven until fully cooked.  In doing so, I learned a very valuable lesson.  While eating the pork, I realized that it was strangely tougher and chewier than pork loins of the recent past.  After asking Reid what he thought might be wrong, we realized that the one thing I had done different this time was the pan searing.

Moral of the story... the pork was "strangely tougher and chewier" because the pan searing phase of my prep occurred for too long and at too low a temperature. When pan searing pork, or any other meat for that matter, the key is high temperature, short sear time. The main purpose of searing is to lock in essential juices in the meat.  This is quickly accomplished at high temperatures.

It is worth noting that when pan searing with olive oil be certain to use use standard olive oil as opposed to Extra Virgin olive oil.  The "Extra Virgin" type has a much lower burn point, and this is critical to be aware of when working with higher pan temperatures than normal.

Don't be afraid to try new things in the kitchen this year.  And don't expect that everything I post will be a success story.  If it were, I wouldn't be learning anything and I wouldn't be helping to keep you from making the same mistake in your own kitchens.

Have a "sear"iously great weekend!

Cowtown Kitchen Tip - Baking

Fellow bakers,

Here's a tip from Cowtown Kitchen!

When making breads or muffins that call for nuts, raisins, cranberries, etc., dust them with flour before incorporating them into the batter. This will keep them from falling to the bottom of the pan while baking. You'll have them evenly distributed throughout your muffin or bread!

Yours truly,

The Muffin Man
(aka Cowtown Kitchen)

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

Here's a recipe I tried from Paula Deen's cookbook, "Christmas with Paula Deen." They are surprisingly healthy; it is Paula, after all! :-) I served them last night at a holiday party and they were a hit. Make sure to serve them warm.

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

- 24 fresh mushrooms, stems removed

- 1 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach, chopped and thawed

- 2 oz cream cheese, softened

- 4 oz of feta cheese crumbles (about 1 cup)

- 1/2 cup of finely chopped green onions, green and white parts

- Salt, to taste

- 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel to clean. Drain the spinach in a colander and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, feta cheese, green onion, and salt to taste. Mix well. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture and place on a cookie sheet.

3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Serve warm.

*Health Tip - substitute reduced fat Feta crumbles and 1/3 less fat cream cheese in the filling. Be sure not to use fat free items, as they will not melt well in the oven.

*Cowtown Kitchen Idea - add 1/2 a cup of bacon bits to the filling for a little extra flavor.

Here's a link to Paula's cookbook if you are interested in more recipes!

Christmas with Paula Deen

Enjoy!

Cowtown Kitchen Tip - Pancakes

Hi gang! Here's a Cowtown Kitchen tip for you.

I love making pancakes for breakfast but when you actually decide to do this you plan on spending a lot of time. This makes pancakes feel like an ordeal. If you have extra, nine times out of ten, I bet you end up throwing them away.

In the past I've tried freezing pancakes but they end up freezing together and if you are lucky enough to separate them successfully, they end up getting soggy when you reheat them in the microwave.

So, here's the tip!

Next time you decide to make pancakes, make extra. Any that you don't eat, follow the steps below:

- Let the left over pancakes cool.
- Make stacks of pancakes with a piece of wax paper between each one.
- Put the stacks in a airtight freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible!
- Toss them in the freezer.

Then, when you're ready to eat any number of them...
- Take out the pancakes you want to eat.
- Pop them in the toaster!

You'll have warm pancakes that aren't soggy!! To keep them from getting crunchy, heat them in the toaster until they are just warm. If you want them hotter, zap the stack in the microwave for a minute or less.

It's left over pancake perfection!!

Enjoy!

Reindeer Mix

This fun snack is compliments of my good friend, Kendahl Brown. Enjoy this little munchie at parties or give it out in goodie bags. All portions can be altered, but here is what worked for me.

Combine the following:
- 1 box of Corn Chex
- 1 box of Wheat Chex
- 2 bags of Bugles
- 1 bag of pretzel sticks
- 2 bags of Christmas colored M&M's

Melt white chocolate, milk chocolate, and/or butterscotch chips and drizzle over the above mix. Spreading it out over wax paper makes clean up a breeze!

Store in airtight containers until ready to bag and give, or serve.

Enjoy!

Stir Fry - Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I've been out of pocket for a while but wanted to give you a new, fresh idea.

Stir fry is one of the easiest meals to prepare and can have great nutritional benefits.  One of the reasons I enjoy stir fry so much is because there really is no set method to the madness.   Typically, I prepare stir fry when I have veggies in the fridge that I've just got to use or they are going to be wasted.  Chopping them up and throwing them in the wok is a great way to make sure that you get the most out of your grocery shopping!

Some key things that I keep around to ensure a more "Asian" approach are sesame oil and sake.  Rice wine vinegar can also be used to provide Asian inspiration.  Your local grocer will carry some type of Asian chili paste or Sriracha.  Be careful, this stuff packs quite the punch even in small doses!

I usually start with garlic and chopped onion in the sesame oil.  After that, I throw in frozen veggies (rinsed to remove extra ice/water, but not technically thawed) and then frozen shrimp.  If you're not a shrimp eater and would prefer something like chicken or beef, switch the order of the veggies and the protein.  In other words, throw in the chicken with the onions and garlic to ensure ample cooking time.  Shrimp cooks light years faster than chicken.  

Many grocery stores also sell "Asian Stir Fry Vegetables" in the frozen section.  I use frozen veggies when I've been out of town and haven't been to the store.  Frozen vegetables, frozen shrimp, and rice are staples I keep on hand that ensure I don't have to eat out when I haven't been to the store in ages.  (As in a previous post, note the importance of a well stocked freezer.)

Edamame (shelled) is also great to toss in.  It brings a lot of protein to your meal and therefore can make your meal well rounded even if you didn't have meat to throw in.  I also keep cans of water chestnuts, baby corn, and bamboo shoots on hand.  Remember though, you don't have to have the typical Asian veggies.  Any veggies will do.

Coupling this with rice or noodles can make a complete well balanced meal.  As I stated earlier, rice and pasta are staples that you can (and should) keep on hand.  They will save you in a pinch!

I hope this post is helpful.  If you need more ideas, let me know.  Stir fry is my go-to meal when I haven't been to the store and just don't feel like eating out.

Have fun with it!

Holiday Cheer in a Glass

Want to drink some holiday cheer? Try eggnog with bourbon!

Add a little nutmeg and cinnamon and it is good to go.  You don't even need to make homemade eggnog. Using the nutmeg and cinnamon will help to give it that homemade taste.  I'll be honest, I've never been much of an eggnog fan.  However, you will love this combination when curling up on the sofa or in front of a fire.

I've used Land O' Lakes Eggnog and loved it. There are many types of bourbon but a middle of the road bourbon should do just fine.

Cheers!